Ranking the Best Left-Handed Tennis Players of the Modern Era | Bleacher Report Ranking the Best Left-Handed Tennis Players of the Modern Era By Jeffrey Ruth , Featured Columnist Oct 24, 2013 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow Marianna Massey/Getty Images Rod "The Rocket" Laver is all smiles these days. 38.3K 77 Comments Is it a back-handed compliment to say someone is the best left-handed player of the modern era? Certainly there is more to these great champions than just being good lefties, after all. They are also among the game's all-time greats. These players have a host of things in common. They have won seven or more Grand Slam events, and claimed more than 50 total titles each. All but one of them were ranked No. 1 at some point in their career. So how does one go about ranking the best-of-the-best? The simplest way is to look at how they did at the biggest-of-the-big. The majors. Except that really doesn't do justice to the one lefty who ranks above them all.

He is the exception to the rule, neither having been the top-ranked player in his day, nor winning the most Slam titles. He is still the best. Rod Laver is that good. Here's the breakdown of the six best left-handed tennis players of the modern era. Alex Trautwig/Getty Images John McEnroe and his famous left hand, still in action. John McEnroe routinely makes the lists of all-time lefty greats, such as "The 10 greatest lefties in sports history" by USAToday.com (although he was merely an honorable mention). Still, even more than the famous hook serve, what he will always be known for is his status as Super Brat . According to Debbie McGoldrick of The Irish Voice, McEnroe's own father displayed one of Nike's promotional ads which said of their shoes "McEnroe swears by them." If his family focuses on that aspect of him, it's no wonder why the world recalls him that way, too. However, he will always be one of the greatest left-handed tennis players.

Here are his stats: Grand Slams Won: 7 Clive Brunskill/Getty Images A dapper Jimmy Connors takes in action at the Stella Artois, 2007. Jimmy Connors and his two-fisted backhand remain legendary among fans long after his playing days facing nemesis Bjorn Borg. As with John McEnroe, this American is just as well-known for his personality as for his accomplishments on the court. Yet his statistics are just as memorable. Connors managed one more Grand Slam title than McEnroe did. He also amassed an incredible 110 total tournaments won. Perhaps what truly sets him apart is the fact that he is the only player to win the U.S. Open on three different surfaces —a record that will never be broken. Here's the breakdown: Andy Lyons/Getty Images Monica Seles enjoys her return to the Rogers Cup, 2013. Sometimes it is difficult to remember that Monica Seles was actually a left-hander. More often than not, she hit with two hands from both sides. Coach Nick Bollettieri, who worked with Seles, once wrote that very few people could ever do that successfully, let alone at the pro level.

But her left-handed forehand was a weapon all by itself, as this clip from the 1997 U.S. Open shows. In her eight-year career Seles nearly came away with the career Grand Slam, only failing to win Wimbledon. She made the finals at the All England Club in 1992, losing to Steffi Graf, 0-6, 1-6. Due to her successes at the slams, Seles rates slightly above Jimmy Connors. Here are her numbers: Grand Slams Won: 9 French Colors, French Trophy, Rafael Nadal 2013. Rafael Nadal 's results represent quite a jump over the previous three players. He has already won over a dozen Grand Slam titles in his 12 years on tour . Not only does that make him one of the very best left-handed players in tennis history, but it could mean even more. According to Askshay Kohli of TennisEarth.com, retired player Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro claimed Nadal could take the spot as the best-ever in tennis if he wins four more Grand Slams, due to his record against the top players.

That would be in addition to his already achieving the career Grand Slam. Nadal's numbers speak for themselves: Grand Slams Won: 13 Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports Still carving a lefty backhand, Martina Navratilova, 2012 French Open. Martina Navratilova is the queen of tennis, according to Larry Schwartz of ESPN.com. The International Tennis Hall of Fame places her as one of the best female athletes of all time, not just best of tennis. Enough said. As with Rafael Nadal, the numbers are overwhelming. She, too, has won the career Grand Slam, and holds more individual major titles than him. And she wasn't just a big-game player, either. Each and every year of her career, Navratilova won other tournaments. She would end up holding trophies aloft in three straight decades, from September 1974 to February 1994. Grand Slams Won: 16 Julian Finney/Getty Images Rod Laver enjoys yet another special moment at Wimbledon. Rod Laver is the best left-handed tennis player of the modern era. Despite his not holding the most Grand Slam titles, and being ranked only as high as No.

3 in his time, there are two reasons why he tops the list. They are: Calendar Year Grand Slam 1969 Calendar Year Grand Slam 1962 Wow. For fans who overlook Laver as the best in favor of today's players, consider this quote from Rafael Nadal via atpworldtour.com . "To win all four Grand Slams in one year I think is impossible for anyone. That's my feeling." Apart from any underlying reasons for this claim, Nadal was careful to use the word impossible. Not for Laver, though. That's why he is the best. Grand Slams Won: 11 Champions Tour - Rod Laver – Tennis Players Personal CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Rod Laver was so scrawny and sickly as a child in the Australian bush that no one could guess he would become a left-handed whirlwind who would conquer the tennis world and be known as possibly the greatest player ever. A little more than a month before Don Budge completed the first Grand Slam, Rodney George "Rocket" Laver was born Aug. 9, 1938, at Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia.

Despite lack of size and early infirmities, Laver grew strong and tough on his father's cattle property and emulated Budge by making the second male Grand Slam in 1962 as an amateur - then became the only double Grand Slammer seven years later by taking the major singles (Australian, French, Wimbledon, U.S.) as a pro. Few champions have been as devastating and dominant as Laver was as amateur and pro during the 1960s. An incessant attacker, he was nevertheless a complete player who glowed in the backcourt and at the net. Laver's 5-foot-8-1/2, 145-pound body seemed to dangle from a massive left arm that belonged to a gorilla, an arm with which he bludgeoned the ball and was able to impart ferocious topspin. Although others had used top-spin, Laver may have inspired a wave of heavy-hitting topspin practitioners of the 1970s such as Bjorn Borg and Guillermo Vilas. The stroke became basic after Laver. As a teenager he was sarcastically nicknamed "Rocket" by Australian Davis Cup Capt. Harry Hopman.

"He was anything but a Rocket," Hopman recalled. "But Rod was willing to work harder than the rest, and it was soon apparent to me that he had more talent than any other of our fine Australian players." His initial international triumph came during his first trip abroad in 1956, when he won the U.S. Junior Championship at 17. Four years later he was ready to take his place among the world's best when he won the Australian singles, snapping back to beat another lefty, Neale Fraser and, with Bob Mark, the doubles for a second time. He was runner-up to Alex Olmedo for the Wimbledon championship, that would presently be his four times. The Australian victories were the first of Laver's 20 major titles in singles, doubles and mixed, placing him fifth among all-time male winners behind Roy Emerson (28), John Newcombe (25), Frank Sedgman (22) and Bill Tilden (21). Jean Borotra also won 20.

His 11 singles (equaled by Bjorn Borg) were second to Emerson's long-standing record of 12, later eclipsed by Pete Sampras' 14 and Roger Federer's 15. The losing Wimbledon finals of 1959-60 were but a prelude to an incredible run of success in that tournament. He was a finalist six straight times he entered, winning in 1961 over Chuck McKinley and 1962, over Marty Mulligan. After a five-year absence as an outcast professional, he returned to the fanfare of opens to win again in 1968, over Tony Roche, and in 1969, over Newcombe. While winning Wimbledon in four straight appearances (the only man since World War I to win four prior to Borg) and proceeding to the fourth round in 1970, Laver set a male tournament record of 31 consecutive match wins, ended by his loss to Roger Taylor (passed in 1980 by Borg, who lengthened the record to 41).

The year 1969 was Laver's finest, perhaps the best experienced by any player, as he won an open-era record 17 singles tournaments (tied by Guillermo Vilas in 1977) of 32 played on a 106-16 match record. In 1962 he won 19 of 34 on 134-15. Unlike his Grand Slam year of 1962 as an amateur, he was playing in tournaments that were open to all, amateur and pro, and this Slam was all the more impressive. After his second year running as the No. 1 amateur, 1962, and helping Australia win a fourth successive Davis Cup, Laver turned pro, his appearance saving the sagging professional game, a stimulus to keeping it breathing until opens arrived in 1968. It was a life of one-nighters, but Pancho Gonzalez was no longer supreme. Kenny Rosewall was at the top and gave Laver numerous beatings as their long, illustrious rivalry began. Rosewall beat Laver to win the U.S.

Pro singles in 1963, but the next year Laver defeated Rosewall, then eight-time champ Gonzalez, to win the first of his five crowns, four of them in a row beginning in 1966. He had a streak of 19 wins in the U.S. Pro until losing the 1970 final to Roche. When open tennis dawned in 1968, Laver was ready to resume where he'd left off at the traditional tournaments, whipping Roche in less than an hour to take the first open Wimbledon. In 1971 Laver won $292,717 in tournament prize money (a season record that stood until Arthur Ashe won $338,337 in 1975), enabling him to become the first tennis pLaver to make a million dollars on the court. Until the last days of 1978, when he was playing few tournaments, Laver was still the all-time leading money-winner with $1,564,213. Jimmy Connors then surpassed him, along with numerous others.

In 1973 all professionals were at last permitted to play Davis Cup, and Laver, 35, honed himself for one last effort, after 11 years away. He was brilliant, teaming with Newcombe to end a five-year U.S. reign, 5-0. Laver beat Tom Gorman in five sets on the first day and paired with Newcombe for a crushing doubles victory over Stan Smith and Erik van Dillen that clinched the Cup, Laver's fifth. Of all the marvelous Aussie Davis Cup performers he was the only one never to play in a losing series, 11 of them, compiling 16-4 and 4-0 marks in singles and doubles. He was also a factor in winning three World Cups (1972, '74-'75) for Australia in the since disbanded team competition against the U.S. In 1976, as his tournament career was winding down, Laver signed with San Diego in World Team Tennis and was named the league's Rookie of the Year at age 38.

During a 23-year career that spanned the amateur and open eras, he won 47 pro titles in singles and was runner-up 21 times. Overall, amateur and pro, he was the all-time leader with 184 singles titles, and was elevated to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1981, and the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2001 the principal stadium of Melbourne Park, scene of the Australian Open, was named Rod Laver Arena. Despite spending five of his prime years in the unranked wilderness of the pros, he was among the World Top Ten 12 times, 1959-1962, and 1968-75 (the last at age 37). He was No.2 four times, 1961, '62, '68, '69. Suffering a massive stroke that might have killed him in 1998, he rehabilitated with the same drive that made him a champion, and today continues normally, playing tennis and golf with friends.

MAJOR TITLES (20) - Australian singles, 1960, 1962, 1969; French singles, 1962, 1969; Wimbledon singles, 1961, 1962, 1968, 1969; US. singles, 1962, 1969; Australian doubles, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1969; French doubles, 1961; Wimbledon doubles, 1971; French mixed, 1961; Wimbledon mixed, 1959, 1960. DAVIS CUP - 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1973; record: 16-4 in singles, 4-0 in doubles. SINGLES RECORD IN THE MAJORS - Australian (21-6), French (25-6), Wimbledon (50-7), US. (44-10).

- Bio Courtesy Bud Collins Rafael Nadal and the Top 23 Left-Handers in Tennis History | Bleacher Report Rafael Nadal and the Top 23 Left-Handers in Tennis History Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow Julian Finney/Getty Images 6 Comments As we are getting ready to watch some great tennis at Wimbledon , this slideshow will look at the best, in no particular order, when it comes to left-handed players. I have tried to mix it up a little by including both men and women as well as pre-Open Era and Open Era. There is a vast amount of information available, and you cannot put it all in the slideshow. So, they'll of course be those who unfortunately did not make the list, and for those that are listed, I will be providing some highlights of their career. On each slide there will be one or two reference links to sites that I used to gather information. Hopefully, you will find it beneficial in learning more about these tennis greats. Please feel free to share and comment. Hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Let's begin... Born: Sept.

13, 1971 Country: Croatia Ivanisevic is best known for being the lone player to have won the Wimbledon singles title as a Wild Card (ironically, in a brief return to the sport in 2004, he lost to Lleyton Hewitt on Centre Court—the very spot where he had made history). He achieved 22 titles during his career. Ivanisevic’s highest ranking was No. 2. Interesting fact: In 2007, Roger Federer had an opportunity to practice with Ivanisevic in preparation for his fifth Wimbledon title. He would be facing Rafael Nadal . Federer said that being able to practice with Ivanisevic, a left-handed player, helped him. (Born: Oct. 18, 1956) Country: Czechoslovakia and USA Words cannot describe Martina Navratilova. In trying, she would have to be described as one of the tennis players that set the bar, not only for women’s tennis but men’s as well. She was just that good. During her career, she won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles and 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.

Navratilova is on the very short list, with Margaret Court and Doris Hart, honored for completing the Grand Slam Box Set (Career Grand Slams in singles, doubles and mixed doubles). Navratilova was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2000. (Born: Aug. 17, 1952) Country: Argentina This former world No. 2 is probably most remembered for defeating Jimmy Connors at the 1977 US Open finals. However, there is a lot more to his career. He was considered a clay court specialist. His 53-match winning streak wasn’t eclipsed until 2006 by another clay court specialist and fellow left-hander, Rafael Nadal . He is the only player to have won singles titles on five different continents in the same year, 1977. The continents were Europe, South America, North America, Africa and Asia. He retired from the ATP tour in 1989, continuing however to play in the ATP Challenger until 1992. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991.

photo courtesy of Google Images (Born: Oct.12, 1921) Country: Czechoslovakia Drobny was unique in he was not only an amateur tennis player, he also played ice hockey. On top of that, he was good at both. For tennis, his highest ranking was No. 1. He won three Grand Slam titles, one doubles title and one mixed doubles title. Drobny played under Czechoslovakia, the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, Egypt and Great Britain—another distinguishing fact about this tennis great. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1983 as a master player. Additionally, he was inducted into the Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997. (Born: Jan. 23, 1968) Country: Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic Korda won 10 singles and 10 doubles titles during his career. His highest ranking was No. 2 in singles. His most memorable year had to be 1998. At the beginning of the year, he achieved his one and only Grand Slam singles title, defeating Marcelo Rios at the Australian Open.

However, at Wimbledon that year, it was revealed that he had tested positive for the banned substance nandrolone, an anabolic steroid. The incident not only turned Korda’s tennis life upside down, it turned the tennis world upside down as well not only because of the action itself, but also because of the rulings of the ITF (International Tennis Federation) following it. It became a huge controversy. Korda tried to make a comeback but was unsuccessful. He retired in 2000. Tennis – ‘the golden age’ of the 1960s–70s and beyond | australia.gov.au Tennis – ‘the golden age’ of the 1960s–70s and beyond Tennis – ‘the golden age’ of the 1960s–70s and beyond Mark Woodforde, Doubles Champion 1989–2000 Australians dominated world tennis in the 1950s and 1960s in major events known as Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian, French and United States Open, and Wimbledon in the UK. This period was known as the ‘golden age’ of Australian tennis.

In the 1960s, men's tennis open titles were dominated by six Australian men: Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, John Newcombe, Tony Roche, Ken Rosewall, and Fred Stolle. Between 1961 and 1970, Australian men's tennis champions won at least one Open Singles title every year at either Wimbledon or the French or US Opens, as well as the Australian Open titles. In men's tennis, the golden age culminated in 1969 with Rod Laver's second Grand Slam win, as well as four major titles in the same year. Margaret Court, courtesy of Australian Open In 1970, Margaret Court also completed the Grand Slam. Court is one of only three women ever to win four international tennis open titles in one year. Indigenous player Evonne Goolagong Cawley was also a strong force in women's tennis in Australia in the 1970s with wins at Wimbledon, the French and the Australian Opens. The ‘golden age’ for Australian tennis players declined from 1969 when amateur players were joined by professionals.

Also by the 1980s, the Australian Open synchronised its dates to begin in January in line with the European, UK and USA players events schedule, which greatly widened the pool of players. Yet even following the decline of Australia's dominance in the Grand Slam tournaments, tennis remained popular in urban areas and the Australian Open grows in popularity as a spectator sport. Early tennis development 1900s–1950s The golden age of Australian tennis was built on the early successes of both men's and women's tennis with Grand Slam tournament winners: Norman Brookes in the 1900s to 1919, Jack Crawford in the early 1930s, and Harry Hopman from 1929–39. This was in tandem with the consistent wins and popularity of women's tennis from the 1920s to the 1950s. Daphne Akhurst reached the Wimbledon final in 1925 and won the Doubles in 1928. From the1930s to the 1950s, Nancy Bolton got to the USA Singles Open and won other titles with her doubles partner, Thelma Long.

Bolton was ranked No.4 in 1947 and stayed in that position until 1949. This series of wins in the amateur Grand Slam tournament titles of the 1940s and 1950s was made possible by extensive community and industry support, and investment in the development and administration of amateur tennis players. Harry Hopman, courtesy of Australian Open Harry Hopman was a captain turned coach of 22 Australian Davis Cup teams between 1939 and 1967. As coach Hopman guided Australian male tennis players to 15 Davis Cup victories in 20 years. Ken Rosewall, Frank Sedgeman, John Bromwich, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Lew Hoad and Margaret Smith Court were all either trained by Harry Hopman or managed by Nell Hopman. ( The Hopman Era: Australia on the Rise) Amateurs, tennis community and industry in the 1960s By 1969 the game started to change.

Professional players were invited to join the amateurs at the Grand Slam tournaments and prize money was offered for the first time, different tennis court surfaces and different game strategies emerged, and metal racquets were introduced. Professional versus amateur In 1969, the Australian Open Championships became 'open' to amateurs and professionals. This followed in the footsteps of the French Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, UK, and the USA Open. Rod Laver returned to win his second grand slam in 1969. The advantages to amateur Australian champions who had enjoyed the riches of the Davis Cup endorsements soon disappeared with the advent of ‘open’ tennis. The end of the golden age was seen in the average age of the Davis Cup team, which was 35 years. It was another 18 years until Pat Cash, another Australian man, won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1987. Balls and tennis racquet with carbon fiber reinforced polymer frame Different surfaces – different game strategies, racquet evolution Different surfaces require different game strategies, maintenance and care. Tennis was originally played on grass courts but in the 1970s many other surfaces were common.

These included dried cow faeces (mainly in India), wood, synthetic carpets, anthill grit (in Australia), concrete, crushed brick, clay, asphalt, canvas, rebound ace and plexicusion, to name just a few. In the 1960s and 1970s metal racquets were introduced. The next step in the evolution of the tennis racquet came with a material called graphite, which made the racquet lighter and stiffer. Soon after, a number of new materials were being used in racquets, including Kevlar, ceramic, and titanium. Prize pool changes It wasn't until the' introduction of truly ‘open’ tennis in 1968 that players were paid for their efforts on court. Prize money for singles titles has changed dramatically. In 1969 the Australian Open offered $4,500 (AUD) to the winning man and $1,750 (AUD) to the winning woman. The largest prize pool at this time was the US Open with the man taking home $15,068 (AUD) and the winning woman getting $6,457 (AUD).

However this is a small amount compared to prize money in more recent times. In 2009 both the winning man and woman at the Australian Open received $2,000,000 (AUD). This was also the highest amount given at the four Grand Slams that year. The 'golden age' of men's tennis – the 1960s In the 1960s, men's tennis open titles were dominated by six Australian men: Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, John Newcombe, Tony Roche. Ken Rosewall, and Fred Stolle. Between 1961 and 1970, Australian men's tennis champions won at least one Open Singles title every year at either Wimbledon, the French or US Opens, as well as the Australian Open titles. Roy Emerson, champion 1959–71 Roy Emerson was Australian Singles champion in 1961 and then five consecutive times between 1963 and 1967. Emerson also won the men's singles titles in the French, US and Wimbledon Opens, winning each of them twice between 1963 and 1967. His feats in doubles champions were extraordinary.

Emerson won three Australian Open titles, five consecutive French titles from 1960 to 1965, four US titles between 1959 and 1966, and three Wimbledon titles between 1959 and 1971. Emerson came close to completing the Grand Slam in 1964 but fell in the French quarterfinals. Emerson played in eight winning Davis Cup teams, which was an incredible achievement. Ken Rosewall, champion 1953–1972 Ken Rosewall, Courtesy of Australian Open Ken Rosewall was a great singles champion, winning eight open titles between 1953 and 1972, Australian, French and US. He was one of the finest players to not win Wimbledon singles. Rosewall also won nine doubles champion titles, a total of 17 major titles, and achieved a career doubles Grand Slam. Rosewall, ‘Muscles’ to his friends, continued his tennis career into his 40s. Ken Rosewall is known as one of Australia's greatest tennis players.

When he was 17 years of age, Ken was selected to play for the Australian Davis Cup team, travelling with Davis Cup captain and coach Hary Hopman. This kick-started his career playing amateur, professional and open tennis. In 1953 he won his first Grand Slam title in the Australian Open Singles tournament and then went on to win 17 more titles during his career of over 30 years. Fred Stolle, champion 1961–69 Fred Stolle won the French and US Opens in 1965 and 1956 respectively and was runner-up at Wimbledon three times (1963, 1964 and 1965) and twice at the Australian championships (1964 and 1965). Yet, Stolle won all four doubles opens, winning 15 titles from 1961 to 1969. Tall and competitive, Fred Stolle was known for his powerful serve, accurate volleys and fluid backhand.

Rod Laver, Grand Slam winner 1961 and 1969, and champion 1959–71 Rod Laver, no source Rod Laver became the only Australian to win the Grand Slam twice in 1962 and 1969. Laver dominated Australian men's tennis in the 1960s although his competitors in Australia were also world champions. Laver won Wimbledon Singles titles four times – in 1961 and 1962 and in 1968 and 1969, the Australian Open three times, and the French and the United States Open twice each. Laver was Australian doubles champion four times, as well as winning at the French and Wimbledon titles. Dubbed ‘Rocket’ Rod Laver by then Davis Cup captain Harry Hopman, Laver ‘was a powerful left-hander who sent the ball hurtling over the net laden with topspin’. Laver was a driven competitor whose attacking play won him many titles, winning 17 of his 20 titles in this decade. Laver racked up a formidable 20-4 win-loss record in Davis Cup ties and was part of five winning teams during his career.

In January 2000, centre court at Melbourne Park was named Rod Laver Arena in honour of Laver's achievements. 1969 Australian Open, Brisbane – Rod Laver and Margaret Court The tournament was contested on Milton's grass courts in Brisbane between a men's field of 48 and a women's field of 32. Rod Laver's semifinal victory over Tony Roche was played in 105-degree heat. Their contest dragged on for more than four hours, 7-5 22-20 9-11 1-6 6-3, both players putting wet cabbage leaves in their hats to help them keep cool. Laver went on to win the title, defeating Andres Gimeno of Spain 6-3 6-4 7-5, claiming $5,000 in prize money and the first leg of his second Grand Slam. Margaret Smith Court beat Billie Jean King 6-4 6-1 to take the $1,500 prize.

Australian Open History, 1969) 1970–75 – Australian Open men's draw depleted of players In 1970 the Australian Open men's draw was depleted by the absence of Laver, Ken Rosewall, Andres Gimeno, Pancho Gonzales, Roy Emerson and Fred Stolle. They were all professional players signed to a tour-specific contract with the National Tennis League and ‘they were banned from entering the Australian Open because the tournament's financial guarantees were deemed too low’. It was in this field, or lack of it, that Arthur Ashe became the first non-Australian to win the title since 1959. Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong by Ern McQuillan,1971. Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery. In 1972, the gulf between professional players and amateurs widened with a dispute between the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) and World Championship Tennis (WCT) which impacted on players in events between January and July 1972. In a bid to subvert the ban, Australian Open organisers started their tournament on December 27.

However, the December dates did nothing to attract European players who boycotted the Australian Open for another decade because of the clash with Christmas. In 1973 there was only marginal competition from overseas players. Nine of 12 men's seeds were Australian with no.1 seed and defending champion Ken Rosewall losing in the second round to Karl Meiler of Germany. On the women's side all but three of the 12 seeds were Australians. The Australian Open's timing, slap-bang in the middle of the holiday season, was a continued bone of contention with international players, the legendary Bjorn Borg boycotting the tournament saying, ‘I was trying to make a statement. My point was that a player requires some time to himself. He can't keep rushing from one court to another all the time without a break.‘ Australian Open, history, 1973 John Newcombe (right) with American Jimmy Connors, 1974, Australian Open, Courtesy Courier Mail Australian players like John Newcombe also objected to the event date in the December Christmas period.

In 1975, Newcombe ranked as no 2, only entered at the last minute on hearing that the American Jimmy Connors, ranked as no.1, would be making the trip. It was the first Australian Open match televised in America, on CBS, and was Connors' last competitive match in Australia. Newcombe won 7-5 3-6 6-4 7-6. John Newcombe, champion 1965–75 John Newcombe is best remembered for his 12 doubles open titles with Tony Roche, which was more than any other men's team in tennis history. Newcombe also won the singles open titles in 1973–75, Wimbledon in 1967, 1970–71, and the US in 1967 and 1973, winning all bar the French title. As a player, John Newcombe was strong, athletic and a great competitor. His serve, volley and forehand were his most formidable weapons and he used them to devastating effect.

Tony Roche, Champion 1965–74, Courtesy of Australian Open Tony Roche, champion 1965–74 Tony Roche (b. 1945) enjoyed startling success on the doubles court with his long-time partner John Newcombe. Between 1965 and 1974 the pair snared 12 major doubles titles together, including five Wimbledon championships, four Australian and two French Open titles, and one US Open title. Roche possessed a difficult left-hand serve and was skilled in attacking his opponent with volleys. These skills helped him claim the 1966 French title, which was his only major singles win. He finished runner-up in the single titles on several occasions – twice at the French (1965 and 1967), twice in the United States (1969 and 1970), and once at Wimbledon (1968). After retiring, Roche became a successful coach and has mentored world no.1 players including Ivan Lendl, Patrick Rafter, Lleyton Hewitt, and Roger Federer.

Women's tennis Women players made their marks in the 1960s and 1970s. Lesley Bowrey won 13 major titles between 1961 and 1967. After Margaret Court completed the Grand Slam in 1971, Evonne Goolagong Cawley dominated women's tennis in Australia in the 1970s winning the Wimbledon Singles title and the French Open in 1971, followed by four consecutive Australian Singles titles from 1974 to 1977. Lesley Bowrey, champion 1961–67 Lesley Bowrey. Courtesy of Australian Open Lesley Bowrey (b. 1942) from Trangie, NSW was the first Australian women to win two French Open Singles titles, in 1963 and 1964. Overall Bowery won 13 major titles including seven international doubles – the Australian, French, Wimbledon and the United States Open titles – as well as four mixed doubles champions in Australian Open and at Wimbledon between 1961 and 1967. She was a runner-up on 14 occasions in Grand Slam tournaments.

Bowrey participated in the inaugural Federation Cup competition in 1963 and went on to captain Australia's Federation Cup team between 1994 and 2000. Margaret Court, Grand Slam, 1970 and champion 1960–75 Margaret Court nee Smith (b. 1942) is Australia's most successful women's tennis player on the world circuit. Court was dubbed ‘The Arm’ by Billie Jean King. Court amassed a list of tournament wins that is yet to be rivalled. She won: the Australian Singles champion ten times, the French Open Singles four times, the United States Open five times; and, Wimbledon three times. Altogether, Margaret Court collected 62 major titles in singles, doubles and mixed. Her closest rival is Martina Navratilova with 56 titles. A strong player known for her heavy ground strokes and powerful serve, she was the world's number one seeded player three times – in 1969, 1970 and 1973. In 1970, Margaret Court completed the Grand Slam, winning four international tennis open titles in one year.

Court is one of only three women ever to complete this feat. Evonne Goolagong Cawley, champion 1971–80 Evonne Goolagong, 1971, courtesy of Australian Open Evonne Goolagong Cawley (b. 1951) dominated women's tennis in Australia in the 1970s with four consecutive Australian Singles titles from 1974 to 1977. Prior to this Goolagong Cawley won the Wimbledon Singles title in 1971, as well as the French Open in the same year and, the Wimbledon Singles again in 1980. Goolagong Cawley was ranked in the top 10 for nine years and climbed to the top of the rankings for one week in 1976. Goolagong was a poster girl for aspiring country players in the 1970s, a darling of the circuit with a song written about her achievements and popularity.

A player renowned for her grace and speed around the court, Goolagong Cawley started playing as a young girl by hitting a ball against a wall with the paling from an apple crate board. Goolagong Cawley came close to completing a career Grand Slam in 1971 with a doubles win in the Australian Open but, the US Open title eluded her. Wendy Turnbull, champion 1978–82 Wendy Turnbull (b. 1952) made the final of every Open except Wimbledon, achieving a top 10 year-end world ranking for eight consecutive years (1977–1984) and a year-end top 20 ranking for 10 straight years (1977–1986). Turnbull's Open titles were in Doubles – Wimbledon (1978), the French (1979), and the US (1979 and 1982). She was also the Mixed Doubles champion five times across the French, Wimbledon and US titles between 1979 and 1980. Turnbull was renowned for her foot speed around the court.

Australian Open 1980s–90s: a set venue and date but controversies Davis Cup final at Kooyong, 1986. Courtesy of Herald Weekly Times Image Library Whilst Melbourne's Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club had been the Australian Open's 'permanent' home since 1972, by 1980 there were suggestions that the Australian Open no longer deserved its 'big four' status. This was fuelled by the absence of Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe who had won the previous three Slams between them and who were indisputably the top two players in the world. It was not until 1986 that organisers decided to move the tournament away from the Christmas/New Year period, scheduling it in a new, permanent timeslot in January, hoping to attract international players. In 1988 the Australian Open was held in a new modern Melbourne Park Tennis Centre, constructed with hard courts and a unique retractable roof over the centre court. However in 1995, the centre court's sliding roof was no match for Melbourne's weather, and rainfall during the Agassi – Aaron Krickstein semifinal flooded the arena, turning the stands into waterfalls.

In 1996, the Australian Open benefitted from a facilities upgrade that effectively doubled the size of the venue. An investment of $23 million bought two new show courts, one seating 3,000 the other seating 800, and eight new Rebound Ace courts. The Centre Court was renamed the Rod Laver Arena. Pat Cash, champion 1987 Pat Cash in action during the 1986 Davis Cup final at Kooyong. Courtesy of Herald Weekly Times Image Library Pat Cash (b. 1965) won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1987 and made the final of the Australian Open twice in 1987 and 1988. Cash was renowned for his serves and volleys and his best games were played on grass. Sportsmanship controversies – Cash pelted and McEnroe (USA) disqualified Two issues, the truly open nature of sport and sportsmanship came to the fore in 1987 and 1990 at the Australian Open. The open nature of sport, of having open selection trials and selecting representative teams, was an issue for international competition.

In South Africa, the apartheid policies of the government and the sporting bodies deliberately excluded South Africa's non-white people from participating in representative sport. (ANC, International Boycott of Apartheid Sport, 25 May 1971, With special reference to the campaigns in Britain by the Anti-Apartheid Movement, Paper prepared for the United Nations Unit on Apartheid in 1971) Since the 1960s, the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa and internationally had campaigned to boycott international players and teams from participating in South African sports events until the government and sports administrators permitted open selection trails, mixed sports games and access to facilities. At the 1987 Australian Open, Australian Pat Cash was the reigning South African Open champion. Cash … was booed by banner-wielding anti-apartheid protesters and pelted with black tennis balls at the seventh-game change of end. … Cash shrugged off the distraction to reach the final for a second consecutive year. He lost to Mats Wilander in a 6-3 6-7(3) 3-6 6-1 8-6 epic regarded as the best Slam decider of the season.

Australian Open, History, 1987 McEnroe disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct, 1990. Australian Open, still Good sportsmanship is the 'golden rule' of sports. It means treating the people you play with and against as you'd like to be treated yourself. Good sportsmanship is seen to be demonstrated when players show respect for themselves, their teammates, and their opponents, for the coaches on both sides, and for the referees, judges, and other officials. Being polite, courteous and not losing tempers on the court is part of the practice of ‘good sportsmanship’. (What is sportsmanship?, Greater Brisbane Junior Tennis) The question of what is acceptable sportsmanship was tested when John McEnroe (USA) disagreed with and swore at the umpire at the 1990 Australian Open. McEnroe was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, verbal abuse and tennis code violation.

(McEnroe defaulted at Australian Open 1990) In 1990 … umpire Gerry Armstrong and chief supervisor Ken Farrar putting a rocket under John McEnroe in his fourth round match, disqualifying him for unsportsmanlike conduct under the new ‘three strikes you're out’ rule. Australian Open, History, 1990 Rodney "Rod" George Laver - Genealogy Genealogy Join the world's largest family tree Gender Share your family tree and photos with the people you know and love Build your family tree online Share photos and videos Aug 9 1938 - Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia Parents: Roy LAVER, Melba Myrtle Edis LAVER (born ROFFEY) Siblings: Robert LAVER, <Private> LAVER, <Private> WISE (born LAVER) Wife: stepfather About Rodney "Rod" George Laver Rod Laver is a former tennis player from Australia. He was the World No.1 tennis player for seven consecutive years. He is also the only tennis player who has won Grand Slam singles title twice; first as an amateur in 1962 and then as a professional in 1969.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS from "Rod Laver was so scrawny and sickly as a child in the Australian bush that no one could guess he would become a left-handed whirlwind who would conquer the tennis world and be known as possibly the greatest player ever. A little more than a month before Don Budge completed the first Grand Slam, Rodney George "Rocket" Laver was born Aug. 9, 1938, at Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. Despite lack of size and early infirmities, Laver grew strong and tough on his father's cattle property and emulated Budge by making the second male Grand Slam in 1962 as an amateur - then became the only double Grand Slammer seven years later by taking the major singles (Australian, French, Wimbledon, U.S.) as a pro. Few champions have been as devastating and dominant as Laver was as amateur and pro during the 1960s. An incessant attacker, he was nevertheless a complete player who glowed in the backcourt and at the net.

Laver's 5-foot-8-1/2, 145-pound body seemed to dangle from a massive left arm that belonged to a gorilla, an arm with which he bludgeoned the ball and was able to impart ferocious topspin. Although others had used top-spin, Laver may have inspired a wave of heavy-hitting topspin practitioners of the 1970s such as Bjorn Borg and Guillermo Vilas. The stroke became basic after Laver. As a teenager he was sarcastically nicknamed "Rocket" by Australian Davis Cup Capt. Harry Hopman. "He was anything but a Rocket," Hopman recalled. "But Rod was willing to work harder than the rest, and it was soon apparent to me that he had more talent than any other of our fine Australian players." His initial international triumph came during his first trip abroad in 1956, when he won the U.S. Junior Championship at 17. Four years later he was ready to take his place among the world's best when he won the Australian singles, snapping back to beat another lefty, Neale Fraser and, with Bob Mark, the doubles for a second time.

He was runner-up to Alex Olmedo for the Wimbledon championship, that would presently be his four times. The Australian victories were the first of Laver's 20 major titles in singles, doubles and mixed, placing him fifth among all-time male winners behind Roy Emerson (28), John Newcombe (25), Frank Sedgman (22) and Bill Tilden (21). Jean Borotra also won 20. His 11 singles (equaled by Bjorn Borg) were second to Emerson's long-standing record of 12, later eclipsed by Pete Sampras' 14 and Roger Federer's 15. The losing Wimbledon finals of 1959-60 were but a prelude to an incredible run of success in that tournament. He was a finalist six straight times he entered, winning in 1961 over Chuck McKinley and 1962, over Marty Mulligan. After a five-year absence as an outcast professional, he returned to the fanfare of opens to win again in 1968, over Tony Roche, and in 1969, over Newcombe.

While winning Wimbledon in four straight appearances (the only man since World War I to win four prior to Borg) and proceeding to the fourth round in 1970, Laver set a male tournament record of 31 consecutive match wins, ended by his loss to Roger Taylor (passed in 1980 by Borg, who lengthened the record to 41). The year 1969 was Laver's finest, perhaps the best experienced by any player, as he won an open-era record 17 singles tournaments (tied by Guillermo Vilas in 1977) of 32 played on a 106-16 match record. In 1962 he won 19 of 34 on 134-15. Unlike his Grand Slam year of 1962 as an amateur, he was playing in tournaments that were open to all, amateur and pro, and this Slam was all the more impressive. After his second year running as the No.

1 amateur, 1962, and helping Australia win a fourth successive Davis Cup, Laver turned pro, his appearance saving the sagging professional game, a stimulus to keeping it breathing until opens arrived in 1968. It was a life of one-nighters, but Pancho Gonzalez was no longer supreme. Kenny Rosewall was at the top and gave Laver numerous beatings as their long, illustrious rivalry began. Rosewall beat Laver to win the U.S. Pro singles in 1963, but the next year Laver defeated Rosewall, then eight-time champ Gonzalez, to win the first of his five crowns, four of them in a row beginning in 1966. He had a streak of 19 wins in the U.S. Pro until losing the 1970 final to Roche. When open tennis dawned in 1968, Laver was ready to resume where he'd left off at the traditional tournaments, whipping Roche in less than an hour to take the first open Wimbledon.

In 1971 Laver won $292,717 in tournament prize money (a season record that stood until Arthur Ashe won $338,337 in 1975), enabling him to become the first tennis pLaver to make a million dollars on the court. Until the last days of 1978, when he was playing few tournaments, Laver was still the all-time leading money-winner with $1,564,213. Jimmy Connors then surpassed him, along with numerous others. In 1973 all professionals were at last permitted to play Davis Cup, and Laver, 35, honed himself for one last effort, after 11 years away. He was brilliant, teaming with Newcombe to end a five-year U.S. reign, 5-0. Laver beat Tom Gorman in five sets on the first day and paired with Newcombe for a crushing doubles victory over Stan Smith and Erik van Dillen that clinched the Cup, Laver's fifth.

Of all the marvelous Aussie Davis Cup performers he was the only one never to play in a losing series, 11 of them, compiling 16-4 and 4-0 marks in singles and doubles. He was also a factor in winning three World Cups (1972, '74-'75) for Australia in the since disbanded team competition against the U.S. In 1976, as his tournament career was winding down, Laver signed with San Diego in World Team Tennis and was named the league's Rookie of the Year at age 38. During a 23-year career that spanned the amateur and open eras, he won 47 pro titles in singles and was runner-up 21 times. Overall, amateur and pro, he was the all-time leader with 184 singles titles, and was elevated to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1981, and the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2001 the principal stadium of Melbourne Park, scene of the Australian Open, was named Rod Laver Arena.

Despite spending five of his prime years in the unranked wilderness of the pros, he was among the World Top Ten 12 times, 1959-1962, and 1968-75 (the last at age 37). He was No.2 four times, 1961, '62, '68, '69. Suffering a massive stroke that might have killed him in 1998, he rehabilitated with the same drive that made him a champion, and today continues normally, playing tennis and golf with friends. MAJOR TITLES (20) - Australian singles, 1960, 1962, 1969; French singles, 1962, 1969; Wimbledon singles, 1961, 1962, 1968, 1969; US.

singles, 1962, 1969; Australian doubles, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1969; French doubles, 1961; Wimbledon doubles, 1971; French mixed, 1961; Wimbledon mixed, 1959, 1960. DAVIS CUP - 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1973; record: 16-4 in singles, 4-0 in doubles. SINGLES RECORD IN THE MAJORS - Australian (21-6), French (25-6), Wimbledon (50-7), US. (44-10). - Bio Courtesy Bud Collins" 1959 - Australian Doubles; Wimbledon Mixed Doubles 1960 - Australian Singles; Australian Doubles; Wimbledon Mixed Doubles 1961 - Wimbledon Singles; Australian Doubles; French Doubles; French Mixed Doubles 1962 - Australian Singles; French Singles; Wimbledon Singles; U.S.

Singles 1968 - Wimbledon Singles 1969 - Australian Open Singles; French Open Singles; Wimbledon Singles; U.S. Open Singles; Australian Open Doubles 1971 - Wimbledon Doubles

Question: After Rod Laver, who was the next left handed player to win the Wimbledon men's singles?
Answer: Jimmy Connors